This is the single greatest honor in the motor vehicle industry, intended to honor a career and/or lifetime achievement. To become a "Hall of Famer" the nominee must be either retired or deceased. Recipients must have significantly impacted the development of the automobile or the motor vehicle industry. Typically, four to eight individuals are inducted each year.
Led Nissan of America to success in the American car market
Introduced the Datsun 510, the Datsun 240 Z and the first small pick-up truck in America
Established a vast network of service-oriented dealerships and built technical schools to teach dealers and mechanics the importance of superior service
Yutaka Katayama\\\\\\\'s passion for cars, people and America helped him to face the competition.
In 1960, Datsun (Nissan\\\\\\\'s brand name in the United States at the time) entered a strong American market that featured larger cars. Katayama tracked changes in what American car-buyers wanted. Shunning conventional widsom, he created and promoted cars and trucks designed for a new type of consumer. The Datsun 510 of 1968 became a pacesetter in the industry, followed by the very popular Datsun 240 Z sports car in 1970.
A strong advocate of customer service, Katayama, or \\\\\\\"Mr. K\\\\\\\" as he is affectionately known, stated that \\\\\\\"A car sales doesn\\\\\\\'t stop at payment or delivery -- that is simply the beginning.\\\\\\\" Under the leadership of Yutaka Katayama, Nissan of America ushered in a generation of vehicles that redefined the American car market.
